‘High School Musical’ By The Numbers: Breaking Down The Hit Movie On Its 10th Anniversary

Wow, aging kiddies — believe it or not, it’s already time for an East High reunion. For on this very day (January 20) in 2006, millions of Disney Channel viewers tuned in to watch the premiere airing of High School Musical. It was a small, modern day showtunes-filled movie scheduled on a Friday night that introduced the world to basketball player Troy Bolton (Zac Efron), brainy singer Gabriella Montez (Vanessa Hudgens), plotting theater diva Sharpay Evans (Ashley Tisdale) and her brother Ryan (Lucas Grabeel), plus their pals Chad Danforth (Corbin Bleu) and Taylor McKessie (Monique Coleman). To be honest, HSM played like a cheesy, low budget mashup of Romeo And Juliet and Grease…but somehow this Glee precursor had its own mixture of charm that broke through all the schmaltz and worked.

No one could have anticipated how ratings for the movie would shoot through the roof, the huge amount of units High School Musical‘s accompanying soundtrack would sell or just what a cultural phenomenon the Disney Channel would set into motion with this particular production.

Ten years to the day after High School Musical first aired, we’ve broken down the achievements of the movie, its cast members and director Kenny Ortega.

Date High School Musical first aired: January 20, 2006

The movie’s production budget: $4.2 million

Amount of viewers upon its first airing: 7.7 million

Emmys High School Musical won: 2

Television Critics Association Awards won: 1

Teen Choice Awards won: 3

Current Rotten Tomatoes reading: 56%

Age of Corbin Bleu when HSM first aired: 16

Age of Vanessa Hudgens when HSM first aired: 17

Age of Zac Efron when HSM first aired: 18

Age of Ashley Tisdale when HSM first aired: 20

Age of Lucas Grabeel when HSM first aired: 21

Age of Monique Coleman when HSM first aired: 25

Cast members born in Moscow: 1 (Olesya Rulin, who plays composer “Kelsi”)

Year East High School, the movie’s location in Salt Lake City, was founded: 1913

Date the soundtrack was released: January 10, 2006

Musical numbers in the movie: 9

Songs on the soundtrack that don’t actually appear in the movie: 1 (“I Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You”)

Number of vocalists doing the “Troy Bolton” lead on HSM songs: 2 (Zac Efron and non-cast member Drew Seeley)

Weeks the soundtrack spent at #1 on the Billboard 200: 2

Copies the soundtrack sold in 2006: 3.7 million. It was the year’s best-seller.